W.A.S.P. Turn NYC Show Into Impromptu Trump Rally

On Saturday night, President-Elect Donald Trump was back in his New York hometown, attending a UFC event at Madison Square Garden. Across the street from MSG, hair metal cult heroes W.A.S.P. played at Hammerstein Ballroom, and they turned their show into something of an impromptu Trump rally. In the ’80s, the Parents Music Resource Center targeted W.A.S.P., among other artists for songs like “Animal (Fuck Like A Beast).” During the band’s Hammerstein set, W.A.S.P. leader and born-again Christian spoke about Trump, describing him as a mythical hero of First Amendment rights.

As Blabbermouth reports, Blackie Lawless made his big speech near the end of W.A.S.P.’s set. Here’s what he had to say:

We’ll do something a little different tonight. We are in the appropriate city to do this. You know, it was Shakespeare that said, “Some are born to greatness. Some have greatness thrust upon them.” It was the Greek historian Herodotus who said that when it comes to tragedy and things like that, that we do not rule circumstances, circumstances rule us.

Now when I was a little kid, growing up across the bay over here in Staten Island, I never ever imagined that my time would come where I would be thrust into a situation where I had no control over. It will be 40 years next year. There was a situation that happened, and it was called the PMRC. [Crowd boos.] And there were hearings hearings done in Washington, DC. And two days later, Frank Zappa and myself stood on a stage just around the corner here, and we talked about the evils that would come about them. Because censorship is an ugly, ugly thing. [Crowd cheers.] And it ain’t just in music. It happens in all forms of life.

Now, down the street here in lower Manhattan, there’s a chapel down there. It’s called the St. Paul’s Chapel. We now know it as the chapel from 9/11. But before that, when George Washington was elected the first president of the United States, after he was sworn in the federal building, he walked into that street, and he walked down to that chapel, and he consecrated the United States of America to God Almighty right there on that spot.

The very first amendment of our Constitution guarantees freedom of speech. [Crowd cheers.] Our founding fathers were genius enough to know that if you can control speech, you can control thought. And these men knew this. These were great men. Fast forward a couple hundred years, 250 almost. Now, we have a situation in the last six, eight years, we find censorship again rearing its ugly, ugly head. Now, this time it’s on the internet, and it’s affecting every single one of us.

Tonight, you may not be aware, but right next door to us over here in the Garden, there is a man who has undergone attempt after attempt, assassinations on his life, and this man has stood up for this country. [Crowd mostly cheers, some changing “USA.”] He’s right next door right now at the Garden. Let him year ya!

Now, I got two things that I’m passionate about the most. One of them is that freedom of speech. And the other one is about being a patriot. Because I’m here to tell you, I don’t care if you’re Republican, Democrat, independent, you need to be a patriot of this country. I am willing to die for this country. [Crowd cheers.] I believe in it that much. And that man next door, he believes in it, too!

As the band launched into final song “Blind In Texas,” Trump banners unfurled onstage, and the famous photo of Trump after the Pennsylvania assassination attempt appeared on W.A.S.P.’s screen. It feels like something that will appear in a movie about the second Trump administration in a few decades, and it’ll probably seem too broad and obvious when that happens. But no, it happened in real life. Watch fan footage below.

In September, Portland metal band Unto Others claimed that they’d been dropped from W.A.S.P.’s tour without warning.